Citizen Ink Tattoo Shop in Brooklyn NYC

Open for nearly five years, the tattoo artists at Citizen Ink tattoo shop cover Neo-Traditional, Polynesian, Traditional tattoos, Japanese, and Photorealism in their Brooklyn based studio.

Catering to all creeds and types of people in the Brooklyn area, the diverse Citizen Ink artists have tattooed over nineteen thousand people over the past five years between their shop and the many conventions they attend such as United Ink and Mario Barth’s Inked Out convention.

Having done his research and after spending years studying the art, Vlad Sherman is co-owner of Citizen Ink tattoo shop alongside Neo-Traditional artist Joe Khay, and he’s just an awesome self-described tattoo broker.

Vlad loves being the business owner of a tattoo shop because he doesn’t have to take bullshit from anybody. “We’re still very humble, and we’re still very professional, but we do have a right to service whoever we want. What other business can you say that about?”

As the front line man that greets customers first, Vlad does the consultations, comes up with the price, and then matches each client with one of the six Citizen Ink tattoo artists perfect for the job.'

A self-titled “tattoo broker”; Vlad believes reality television shows have really changed the popularity of tattooing. “As tattoos become even more mainstream and continue to push the industry to grow, amateur wanna-be artists think the craft is easy. People pick up a machine and these guys don’t know their heads from their asses.”

Despite his love for the industry and the art, Vlad’s job as a “tattoo broker” certainly has its fair share of challenges. “If you’re getting your first tattoo, do your research and find out what you like. Really think about your doing to your body. Don’t come in here and say, ‘Yay- I’m getting my first tattoo’, and then get these bullshit birds that everyone is getting. People aren’t thinking about their tattoo in fifteen or twenty years; they’re thinking about what they want right now.”

At the end of the day the crew at Citizen Ink tattoo shop have plenty to be thankful for. “The most rewarding part of the shop is that these guys do really awesome art on people’s bodies and they are actually getting paid for it.”

In other words, if you head to Citizen Ink you had better have awesome art in mind. Otherwise you aren’t getting any further than Vlad Sherman. (And that’s for your own good!)

What can I say? This is Brooklyn.

To review Citizen Ink, check out artist portfolios, or contact the studio, please visit their Member Profile.